We Did It! That’s right — the 65th annual Rotary Auction & Rummage Sale crossed a major milestone this year, bringing in a record-breaking $1,018,718.75 in just six hours of sales. That’s over a million dollars in support of local nonprofits, scholarships, and international aid projects. Wow!
But this wasn’t just about money. It was about community.
Powered by People
Behind every item priced and sold were the hands and hearts of over 2,500 volunteers, including 1,077 first-timers and even folks from as far away as New York, Florida, Texas, Guatemala, and even Denmark. Together, they logged 1,000’s of hours, ate 972 donuts, and turned a massive logistical puzzle into a finely tuned community celebration.
First-time volunteer Jennifer said it best:
“It was utterly amazing to see how everything comes together in such a short time… It was a wonderful experience, and I look forward to coming back next year.”
This was also the “Year of Change.” In partnership with the City of Bainbridge Island, Rotary took big steps to improve traffic flow, parking, and safety.
- New traffic plans helped ease congestion on Sportsman’s Club Road.
- Parking spaces expanded with help from the school district and local churches.
- Shuttle services were improved with the addition of two more buses.
- Safety upgrades included on-site EMTs thanks to help from Bainbridge Prepares, and additional private security guards.
- New food solutions featured allergy-sensitive options, fresh salads, (yes!) and longer meal windows to shorten lines.
- The decision to not take couches helped make room for better drop-off flow—and we helped those unwanted sofas get recycled properly.
Going Green
The Green Team outdid themselves again. Their team was onsite everyday continually collecting, sorting, and recycling not only unsellable donations, but the bags and boxes they arrived in and all the food waste from our lunch and dinner operations. After the sale, leftover items went to nonprofits and partner organizations like Goodwill and Bainbridge Disposal. The result? Fewer trips to the landfill than ever. Check out their flow chart.
What Happens to Unsold Items?
It’s a system of joyful re-homing:
- Nonprofits harvest what they can.
- Goodwill collects everything that they can resell.
- Community gleaners are invited to collect what they can in the evening.
- Bainbridge Disposal picks up the rest the next morning.
By the time school is cleared and cleaned, it’s as if nothing happened… except for the lives changed through the proceeds.
Special Deliveries
This year also marked a heartfelt fourth round of collecting items for Ukrainian refugees in the Seattle area. With the help of the Ukrainian Association, volunteers loaded a 20-ft U-Haul full of requested essentials—everything from lamps to end tables.
Beyond the Sale
The funds raised help support:
- 30+ local nonprofits
- Large community organizations
- Local scholarships
- International humanitarian projects (like wells in Uganda)
And none of it would happen without the amazing Bainbridge community.
Final Word from the Field
Auction Co-chair Brian Marks said it best:
“I’m disappointed you only ate 972 donuts. Let’s shoot for 1,000 next year!”
We’ll take that challenge—and we’ll see you in 2026.